By HAPPY MULOLANI
Government has
identified the private sector through Agri-PPPs to complement its efforts in
improving food security and wealth creation among rural people. Agri-PPPs are
considered as innovation partnerships which stimulate agriculture development
in the country. Recently, the Government of Zambia is on record for facilitating
the formulation of guidelines of Agriculture Public Private Partnership
(Agri-PPPs) in the agriculture sector, which seeks to bring about innovations
meant to upscale farmers’ production and productivity.
This position witnessed
S3P partner with the Common Market for Conservation (COMACO) as a service
provider, specifically to contribute towards upscaling farmers production
levels in some selected districts in Muchinga province. Specifically under the
programme’s pluralist participatory approach which sought to offer advisory
services to farmers with diversity of players. COMACO’s target was the smallholder
farmers and interventions promoted, included increasing the levels of
productivity given the low production farmers were grappling with.
Interventions were
promoted through Farmer Field Schools (FFS). Through FFS, demonstration plots
of different commodities of focus were set-up in respective farming communities
in the province. COMACO also promoted seed multiplication of legumes to enable more
farmers access legumes as it was multiplied to a wider farming community.
COMACO introduced an approach
called “Lead farmer, follower farmer.” This approach entailed farmers take the
lead in the promotion and adoption of different commodities of focus. The
understanding is that when farmers actively take the lead in their agriculture
enterprises, they easily build a critical mass of farmers who adopt improved
farming practices, thereby contributing to production and productivity.
Some of the commodities
of focus included cassava, groundnuts, beans, rice and soya beans.
Muchinga Province
Coordinator for COMACO, Evans Hamalila acknowledged that the lead farmer,
follower approach was very effective in reaching out to farmers in the target
areas. It also has been able to supplement the Camp Extension Officers’ (CEOs)
work in reaching out to more farmers.
“The Lead farmer,
follower farmer approach worked in a manner that farmers were clustered
according to commodities of focus. Each lead farmer was involved in three
commodities of focus which included rice, soya beans and groundnuts,” said Mr
Hamalila.
To be effective, it had
a structured hierarchy as follows; Principal lead farmer, Senior lead farmer
and Lead farmer. This approach equipped farmers aptly with relevant information
and trainings across their different agriculture enterprises.
He observed that this
approach resulted in ownership being rooted in the community, as these lead
farmers were also in cooperatives and assisted CEOs in providing feedback of
activities farmers were engaged in their operational areas.
At first, the only
challenge encountered when S3P partnered with COMACO in 2017 was no clear
guidelines were tabled in their operations in terms of reporting lines,
monitoring and backstopping. This, Mr Hamalila revealed paved way for
harmonization of how COMACO and the Ministry would provide their respective interventions
in tandem with the outlined goals and objectives of the programme. This was a
turning point for a successful partnership and approach as they both agreed on
monthly review meetings, collaboration and approach on knowledge transfer to
farmers. This harmonization eased work relations and witnessed a trickle down
effect on farmers.
Mr Hamalila pointed out
that the lead farmer; follower approach also resulted in a high level of
adoption among the farmers. For example, rice was promoted through an
intensification system. This entailed the establishment of a nursery, planting
and well- spacing.
“This type of rice
management was suitable because the yields increased from four or five bags by
50kilogramme per lima to a minimum of between 30 to 35 bags by 50kilogramme
bags of rice,” he said.
For instance, a Senior
Lead farmer in rice, Vincent Mulenga trained farmers on the importance of weeding
a rice field in Chinsali for rice farmers. This training was meant to demonstrate
how farmers can have better yields.
Mr Hamalila said most
of this rice was grown in the wetlands in Chinsali and Isoka. He noted that one
source of concern was the fact that farmers had no land ownership in these
areas. However, COMACO engaged in some awareness meetings with the traditional
leadership on the importance of according farmers security of title in order to
avoid being displaced in the near future.
This partnership
striked between COMACO and S3P was one of those unique features which also
established a good market linkage besides the interventions offered in
improving smallholder farmers’ production and productivity, which eased the
market concerns farmers often faced during the marketing period.
And Muchinga Province
Acting Provincial Agricultural Coordinator, Fred Chikuta, explained that the
project achieved its objective and targets as envisaged to service 23,500
farmers while the Ministry of Agriculture set a target of 200 farmers per camp.
This resulted in 2,400 farmers being reached in 12 camps.
“The identified gaps of
poor yields, disjointed farmer organizations and poor value chain approach were
all addressed by S3P,” disclosed Mr Chikuta.
He also appreciated the
leader farmer, follower farmer approach because it enhanced the farmer to
farmer extension approaches. This approach also gave them a sense of ownership
of the programme goals. It equally improved monitoring at farmer level and eased
the adoption of technologies in various cluster groups supported by S3P.
Mr Chikuta noted that
this approach immensely contributed to reaching out to more farmers thereby
supplementing CEOs efforts in camp areas.
A lead farmer in Kaso
Agricultural Camp in Chinsali Central Block, Cosmas Nkole, shared his
experiences as a lead farmer from 2016 to 2020. He noted that CEOs were
overburdened with their workload given the vast agricultural camps and
increased number of farmers, making it rather difficult to adequately facilitate
in the commodities of focus.
Mr Nkole reaffirmed
that the lead farmer approach was very effective and useful in complementing
CEO’s efforts.
“The lead farmer,
follower farmer approach has eased the CEOs workload as more farmers are being
assisted in their producer groups,” he said.
Mr Nkole said farmers
in his camp area were engaged in cultivating maize, rice, soya beans and beans.
Previously, farmers used to cultivate local seed varieties especially beans
which registered low yields, mainly for home consumption.
For instance, in a
lima, they would harvest just four medas. However, remarkable strides have been
made after COMACO empowered them with Kabulangeti, an improved bean seed
variety and better management practices, their yields increased to about three
to four bags of bean by 50 kilogramme per lima.
He also disclosed that
farmers cultivated local soya beans variety just for consumption. They also
accessed improved soya bean varieties namely, Kaleya and Safari which they now
grow up to a lima.
“After lead farmers’
facilitation on growing improved varieties with good management practices and
taking farming as a business, their perception of farming in these commodities
of focus has changed. They have also learnt the importance of conservation
farming in order to have better yields,” said Mr Nkole.
Another lead farmer in Mundu
Nkula in Chinsali Central Block, Moses Sikazwe explained that he was chosen to
become a lead farmer after; the then lead farmer excused himself when he became
a depot manager.
Mr Sikazwe said his
work involved facilitating lessons to farmers based on the trainings COMACO had
inculcated in them as part of their interventions. All programmes were
communicated through senior lead farmers, and then lead farmers were informed
who in turn notified follower farmers of the cluster production group. He
further stated this approach lessened the heavy workload on CEOs. Previously,
it became worrisome that the number of farmers CEOs were expected to facilitate
to, exceeded their capacity making their work difficult.
He highlighted as a
lead farmer, he catered for 20 farmers in his rice cluster group and conducted
meetings once per month. He stressed that these meetings were necessary to
track the progress of the farmers.
Mr Sikazwe observed
that prior to the inception of this approach under COMACO; his rice production
was between 30 to 35 bags by 50 kilogramme of rice per lima. But after
facilitation by the progamme on recommended management practices such as
weeding and planting in lines, his rice production and fellow rice farmers in
the cluster group has increased to between 40 to 45 bags by 50 kilogramme of
rice per lima.
“It was encouraging
that COMACO was also a buyer, they were buying 41 kilogrammes at K81 and a meda
at K150 while some buyers would buy 12 medas at K180 presently. This also goes
to show that rice is a profitable commodity of focus,” he said.
Mr Sikazwe attributed
this increase to the provision of the improved rice variety to the farmers. The
spill-over effect is feasible as the number of rice farmers has doubled.
“COMACO provided us
with two improved rice varieties and these are Chama and Kilombelo rice. The
number of rice farmers has increased to well over 70 farmers after realising
the benefits of growing rice which does not require any fertilizer, but only needs
proper management and suitable improved variety,” he said.
While, the first lead
farmer, Gordon Chinuka, appreciated the COMACO approach of lead farmer,
follower farmer concept because it has given confidence to farmers in their
rice value chain and also equipped them with appropriate knowledge on
management practises.
However, Mr Chinuka
expresses concern at the non-availability of a processing machinery to polish
their rice. He points out that the demand is very low for unpolished rice from
buyers locally. He added that majority of buyers wanted polished rice, unlike potential
buyers from outside the district, who come to the area periodically.
“As farmers, we have
learnt the importance of value addition as it results in better pricing of
rice. We are forced to sale unpolished rice because there is no polishing
machinery within this area. The nearest polishing machine is 50 kilometres away
from our area and we are charged K25 per bag, which is a lot of money for us,”
he said.
A major concern is the
sustainability of the interventions of this approach which promoted high
production in the province. Interestingly, prior to the programme phase-out,
S3P empowered COMACO with a grant of US$500,000 to sustain its activities. COMACO’s
strategy is to utilise these funds as a revolving fund and also for purchases
of commodities such as cassava, rice, soya beans and enhance the aspect of
value addition. At the moment, COMACO already engages in value addition to
peanut butter and locally produced Chinsali rice and Chama rice.
Arguably, this
partnership has opened doors for increased production, productivity and linkage
to a potential market, given that COMACO was not only engaged to offer
interventions meant to upscale production and productivity but also provided a
reliable market.
